


prelude to a heartsigh

by ephemeralstar



Series: old habits die hard [3]
Category: Community (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, NOT JEFF/ANNIE FRIENDLY, Pre-Femslash, awkward dialogue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:54:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22816576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ephemeralstar/pseuds/ephemeralstar
Summary: Annie lends Frankie a purple, sparkly pen. Why does everyone at Greendale ascribe special meaning where there is none? ... Right? Annie doesn't mean anything by it, right?
Relationships: Annie Edison & Abed Nadir, Annie Edison/Jeff Winger, Frankie Dart/Annie Edison
Series: old habits die hard [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/974427
Comments: 5
Kudos: 70





	prelude to a heartsigh

**Author's Note:**

> written in 2014. This ship deserves more love. Forgive me, its been a while since i rewatched season 6.

“Hey, where’d you get that?” Jeff’s voice is both scandalised and accusatory as he slides smoothly in step beside Frankie. The pen clipped to the top of her binder is sparkly and purple and she got it from Annie; she tells him so. His eyes go wide as saucers, voice lowering to a harsh whisper. “Go, put it back before she realises.” He urged, taking her by the shoulders and steering her towards the study room.

“I didn’t  _ steal  _ it, Mr Winger.” Frankie has to refrain from rolling her eyes, she’s aware, but sometimes these people  _ have  _ to be joking. 

“Annie doesn’t lend out pens-” his face scrunches reflexively, “well, she does because she’s  _ Annie  _ and that’s  _ what she does _ , but not those pens; not anymore.” His tone is cryptic and Frankie stops where he almost ran her into a bin in his haste, taking a step back and raising a single, curious eyebrow. “We try not to talk about the  _ Lost Pen Debacle of 2010 _ .” Is the only concession he allows. 

“You know this isn’t normal, right?” Frankie finds herself saying, maneuvering around the garbage can and expecting Jeff to catch up. “This way of thinking, this  _ need  _ to elevate the importance of events, it’s- it’s--  _ Greendalian _ .” She finally announces.

“I think you mean, it’s  _ Human Being  _ thing.” Jeff corrects, to which Frankie shakes her head in exasperation.

“That’s another thing; we need to change that mascot. As it turns out, not being racist might just be a new creepypasta.” She tells him, Jeff snorting with derision.

“ _ Creepypasta _ ?” He asks, and Frankie feels herself flush with embarrassment, but is saved by Abed, ready with an explanation.

“Yeah, she’s right, she tried to compare it to werewolves or vampires earlier, but they’re sexy now,  _ by television standards; _ the real thing to be afraid of is creepypastas. Made up horror stories on the internet, it’s the equivalent of a campfire story if millions of people were afraid of videogame characters coming to life and killing them.” He paused. “I am, but not for the same reasons;” getting weirdly intense, he glared at a point in between the other two, “we don’t appreciate Sonic enough as anything more than a meme, his anger and desire for revenge is understandable.” Frankie and Jeff share a worried look as Abed’s gaze drifts off into the distance. 

“Okay, so we’re going to talk about whatever  _ that  _ was later.” Jeff says pointedly, Abed nodding agreeably, before Jeff turns to Frankie once more. “The point is that Annie  _ doesn’t  _ lend her favourite pens out to other people. People  _ lose things _ .” Frankie’s eyes widen in realisation, hearing the jealous tone of Jeff’s voice.

“Annie lets me borrow her pens.” Abed added, to which Jeff makes a clear gesture of presentation.

“Case and point.” There’s something almost vindictive in Jeff’s smile, and Frankie’s expression turns cold.

“I wear suits, I make lists, I own three leather briefcases and I use two for more than just decoration. If Annie trusts me with a  _ pen _ , I assure you it’s-” Frankie’s brain momentarily stalls, because she’s not exactly sure  _ what  _ it means. Jeff is probably the best liar she knows, sadly enough, but he’s always been straightforward about who his friends are as people. While Annie is undoubtedly intelligent and kind, she’s also put up walls to protect herself, has been  _ too  _ kind, let people take  _ too  _ much. Annie doesn’t know her all that well and she knows she needs to get to the bottom of this because as practical as Annie is, she's been indoctrinated into Greendale and its strange customs, and suddenly a pen is too much responsibility and she knows it shows on her face by the way Jeff’s grin turns triumphant. She lets out a small sigh and Jeff claps her on the shoulder.

“That’s right, go give it back.” Frankie frowned as she took the next left and headed back to the study room by herself. His sudden boost of confidence slips as he turns to see Abed frowning at him. “What?” He snapped, annoyed.

“You feel threatened by Frankie.” Abed takes a step towards Jeff, whose scoffing his way to a protest. “Annie wouldn't lend  _ you  _ one of her purple pens." There's an  _ any more _ tacked onto the end that Abed doesn't say, but its there in the raise of his eyebrows. Jeff's protests die in his throat, his expression souring. 

"I'm not  _ threatened  _ by Frankie," Jeff shoots for cool, but misses entirely and just sounds defensive; Abed shrugs.

"Jealous then, of Annie's schoolgirl crush transferring to someone else; jealousy's normal." And with the realisation that Abed's trying to comfort him in his own weird way, Jeff can't help it when his expression sours.

"Annie doesn't -"

"Doesn't lend her pens to people," Abed butts in, "but Frankie's not  _ people _ , she's better; she's a Type A, emotionally and financially stable, and a safe place for Annie's to place her first serious feelings for a real, live woman." Abed hesitates for a moment, deliberates, "well, first woman she could see herself in a relationship with long-term. What's Frankie gonna do? Date a teacher or sleep with Britta? Probably no on both accounts; she's too practical and forthright." Abed gazes down the hall where Frankie has long since departed.

"You sound like the one with the crush," Jeff grumbles, "and how do you even know all this; it seems pretty personal? "

"Its just a mix of general observations, knowing Annie as a person,and also she told me. And its not a crush, I just appreciate that Frankie treats Annie like an adult," he pauses, fixes Jeff with an unreadable expression, "we're friends, Jeff, so I'm going to be honest with you -"

"Aren't you always?"

"No." Though he refuses to elaborate. "I'm Team Frankie; I like you, but historically speaking, you're not good for Annie."

"And Frankie would be?"

"Of course."


End file.
